11/11/25 Afternoon CommStock Report- This is What I see and How I am Invested

Interest rates are coming down, or are they? The Fed has now reduced its benchmark interest rate that banks are charged by ½% so far this year but the rate used by the mortgage industry to set their rates is the 10-Year Treasury note which bounced following the latest Fed rate cut.   30-Year Fixed: The average rate has fallen to around 6.11% as of November 1, 2025, down from earlier highs in 2025. A year ago, it was 6.72%. So that is better than it was, but I went back to check what my mortgage rate is and at 2.55%, it should be near the historical low. CD rates are higher than my mortgage rate and it is less than the rate of inflation so one cannot afford to pay that off early. That is why many homeowners are locked into the homes they have. Even divorcees share homes not wanting to give up their cheap mortgages. Rising home insurance costs, required for mortgages, are also spoiling the soup. The government shutdown temporarily disrupted the mortgage process as well. Realtors say the housing market has gotten tough…harder for buyers to get mortgages making it harder for them to get deals…